$12 backers of this project receive one American made tee shirt + a one page research handout not available online.

In January 2010 I (Jason Liszkiewicz) had a test batch of 52 of these t-shirts printed and sold (see here). It was a non-profit project which I would like to again see in print. My first batch received incredibly positive responses in-person & through the Internet from California to as far as India.

Below is an overview of the scope of the project:

From Farm to Fashion, what goes into the production of one cotton t-shirt?

This is the result of a one year side project to create a public awareness product.

The aim is to stimulate conversation about the water, energy, human labor, toxins, migration, and inventive practices that go into the products we own. How do we perceive or how aware are we about the people and processes that produce the products we have come to depend on in this global commercial society?

First hand research along with information from 30 sources comprise the contents of this shirt.

This T-Shirt is a “gateway concept”. By wearing this, it will insert into society not only the topic of t-shirts, but the overall question of what is the “true cost” of the products we are surrounded by, eating, and wearing? How can these answers become more publicly available? Can more knowledgeable shoppers that base purchase-decisions on more than dollar-amounts eventually augment the way product-designers think, design, and produce?

Imagine true cost information for all products and services available via text messaging/SMS (text a code for each product & service). And eventually, public kiosks in malls, public spaces, etc. A mobile encyclopedia service revealing the “open supply chains.” See http://wiki.re-configure.org for more information.